Volunteers needed in Lavender Hill

Cive Jacobs, Lavender Youth and Community Outreach Development Projects, Lavender Hill

In the late nineties and early 2000s, I independently hosted holiday programmes for our community's children and learners, celebrating the June and September school holidays.

For me, it was all about the children's safety during the long holiday. Creating a safe haven and sanctuary for our future leaders was all that mattered. Their daily food menu was the least of my worries as plans were in place.

I trusted businesses that supported us at the time. For a few years, I have observed that there are absolutely no safe spaces created during our school midterms.

Organisations around the greater Lavender Hill and Retreat areas only have such programmes for children closest to them.

Not to mention, they receive huge amounts of funds and stocked kitchens but do not reach out to critical sides of Lavender Hill. Their excuses are poor as they use gang wars as a reason for not reaching out to kids that really depend on a handout.

Community leaders have become selfish and careless and only look after their own, benefiting from supplies and funds that are meant for our ailing youth. The time and opportunity are here for us to reach out to the thousands of kids that will roam the path and dangerous streets during the school break.

We say a lot if a child is struck by a bullet and killed, and yet we are never there to help create safer communities or dig deep in our pockets to help support organisations such as ours.

Leave your critique and test out to make a difference. If you feel you are in a good position to help me and the volunteer team by supporting our aim and objective to create a binding safe haven and sanctuary this June and July school holidays, please support our plight by calling or WhatsApping me at 071 576 1876 or email clivejacobs1968@gmail.com